by Dana Ullman
The love of homeopathy by the British royal family is well known today, in part because Queen Elizabeth II is patron of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital and because Prince Charles has taken an active role in his support for homeopathic and “complementary” medicine.
What is less well known is the love for homeopathy by so many other monarchs of yesterday. When one considers that these members of royalty had access to the best of available medical treatment and that there were certainly implications of their choice of less orthodox methods, the large number of monarchs who chose homeopathy represents a significant statement about the value they found in this medical system.
In 1842, an astonishing number of seventy-seven homeopathic physicians were on record to have served as personal physicians to monarchs and their families (Everest, 1842, 200–203).
British Monarchs
The British royal family has had a longtime and deep appreciation for homeopathic medicine, ever since Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), wife of King William IV, first made public her special interest in this “new medicine” in 1835. Other British aristocrats shared the queen’s interests, including the Marquess of Anglesey who crossed the British Channel to go to Paris for treatment by the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.
In 1830, the Earl of Shrewsbury (1791–1852) had asked Hahnemann for the name of a homeopath who could come to England to be his doctor, and Hahnemann suggested Dr. Francesco Romani (1785–1854) of Italy. Dr. Romani’s cures were so remarkable that he soon created a sensation in London and its surrounds. Queen Adelaide heard about this new medical system from his good work. However, the cold climate didn’t suit the Italian homeopath, and he returned home just one year after his arrival (Granier, 1859).
Queen Adelaide had been suffering from a serious malady that the court physicians couldn’t cure. The queen called for the services of one of Hahnemann’s oldest and most faithful colleagues, Dr. Johann Ernst Stapf (1788–1860), who cured her, creating the first of many supporters of homeopathy from British royalty. The British homeopath to the titled Marquess of Anglesey, Dr. Harris Dunsford (1808–1847), wrote a book on homeopathy that was dedicated, with permission, to Queen Adelaide (Dunsford, 1842). This dedication made public her interest in and her appreciation for homeopathy. She was instrumental in helping to establish homeopathy’s early popularity, especially among the upper classes in England.
Various kings and queens of Great Britain since Queen Adelaide have openly sought medical care from homeopathic physicians. Princess May, who later became Queen Mary (1865–1953), wife of King George V, headed the fundraising efforts to move and expand the London Homeopathic Hospital. King George V (1865–1936) was appreciative of homeopathy because it provided him with the real practical benefit of treating his seasickness whenever he suffered from it.
King Edward VII (1841–1910) carried on the homeopathic tradition and was a close drinking and eating partner of Dr. Frederick Hervey Foster Quin (1799–1878), the first British physician to become a homeopath. Edward’s daughter, Maud (1869–1938), married King Haakon VII of Norway, and both sought the homeopathic care of Sir John Weir, MD (see below).
King Edward VIII (1894–1972), known as Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, after his abdication in 1936, carried his homeopathic medicines in powder doses in his pocket.
His brother, King George VI (1895–1952), also had a special love for homeopathy. He even named one of his prize racehorses Hypericum, after a homeopathic medicine for injuries. He was known to be an expert user of homeopathic medicine himself, and he formally granted the use of the royal title to the London Homeopathic Hospital, now called the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Today’s Queen Elizabeth II (1926–), King George VI’s daughter, who ascended the throne in 1952, is patron to this important hospital, which underwent a $35 million refurbishing in 2005.
The most famous homeopath to royalty was Sir John Weir (1879–1971), who served six monarchs: King Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, George VI, Elizabeth II, King Gustav V of Sweden (1858–1950), and King Haakon VII of Norway (1872–1957).
The early growth of homeopathy in Britain in the mid-1800s became possible in large part through royal support and British aristocracy. The first British homeopath to British royalty, Dr. Quin, was a son of the Duchess of Devonshire (1765–1824), and thus himself an aristocrat. When Quin began his full-time homeopathic practice in London in 1832, he primarily treated members of his own noble class. During the mid-1800s, poor people could not usually afford treatment from doctors and instead tended to use the services of herbalists and apothecaries for their health care.
Another reason that the British royalty embraced homeopathy is that its approach of individualized treatment for each person seemed to give them the real sense that they would not be given medicines that would be prescribed for just anybody (Morrell, 1999). This premise of individualization of treatment is an integral part of homeopathy, and it makes sense to educated classes of people.
The fact that the royals have been Christians has probably also helped link them to homeopathy in subtle ways. Homeopathy has had a solid history of support from the clergy in both Europe and the U.S. (see Chapter 13 of my book The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, Clergy and Spiritual Leaders, for more details on this subject). A board of governors, primarily composed of clerics and bankers and a few titled persons and minor aristocrats, headed most of the homeopathic dispensaries for the poor. This was a consistent pattern in Europe and America.
Not only did British royalty express their support for homeopathy by going to homeopaths and openly encouraging others to do so, they also put their money where their beliefs lay. Many British royalty were patrons to homeopathic organizations and hospitals. HRH Princess Adelaide (the Duchess of Teck) (1880–1940), the Lord Mayor of London, Sir George Wyatt Truscott (1860–1940), the Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon (1865–1940), Lord Cawdor (1870–1914), Lord Robert Grosvenor (1801–1893), the Earl of Wemyss and March (1857–1937), and the Earl of Donoughmore (1875–1944) were but some of a long list of royal patrons to homeopathy.
Others included: the Dukes of Beaufort, Dukes of Cambridge, Earl of Essex, Lord Gray of Gray, Viscount Malden, Lord Ernle, Earl of Kintore, Earl of Kinnaird, the Lords Paget, Dukes of Sutherland, Earls of Dudley, Lord Leconfield, Earl of Wilton, Earl of Albermarle, Viscount Sydney, Lady Radstock, Duke of Northumberland, Earl of Scarborough, Earl of Dysart, Marchioness of Exeter, Countess Waldegrave, Countess of Crawford and Balcarres, Lord Headley, Earl of Plymouth, Lord Calthorpe, Earls of Shrewsbury, Lord Horder, Lord Gainford, Lord Moynihan, Lord Ernle, Lord Ampthill, Lord Home, Viscount Elibank, and the Earls of Lichfield. One can also add numerous knights, barons, military officers, and clerics to this already impressive list.
Sir Henry Tyler (1827–1908) was another titled and rich patron to homeopathy. He not only personally contributed large amounts of money for the expansion of the London Homeopathic Hospital, but his daughter, the later famed Dr. Margaret Tyler (1857–1943), became an influential homeopathic doctor in London. She authored Homoeopathic Drug Pictures, a book that is still popular among practicing homeopaths, and she was the editor of a leading journal simply called Homoeopathy.
It is not surprising that homeopathy in nineteenth-century England came to be called the “rich-man’s therapy.” ....
....Other European Monarchs
Various monarchs throughout Europe were not simply patients of homeopaths; they were also advocates for this system of medicine. Because European royalty usually do not have a history of expressing advocacy without obvious and strong reasons, it is important to ask why so many European monarchs were so supportive of homeopathic medicine. The most obvious reason was that it was extremely effective for them, and, compared with conventional medicine of that day, it was considerably safer than the strong drugs, debilitating bleedings, and use of leeches.
It has been theorized that the British royals (House of Windsor) learned about homeopathy from the German royals, who were all particularly strong advocates of this medical system that was originally founded by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, MD. The German kings sought homeopathic care from Dr. Hahnemann and his disciples. Thus, when Queen Victoria (1819–1906) married a German, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), the German royals’ interest in homeopathy began to develop even more popularity among British royalty, though Queen Victoria herself was not a vocal supporter of homeopathy.
It should also be noted that the Belgian royalty were also advocates of homeopathy. Prince Leopold, who later became King Leopold I, sought the homeopathic care of Dr. Quin. Royalty from other countries soon also began to seek out homeopathic physicians and even became advocates of this new, safer system of medicine.
Even before Quin became a homeopath, he was a highly respected physician to various royalty. Dr. Quin was even called to become personal physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, though the day before Quin was to attend him, Napoleon died.
(For information on the use of homeopathy by other European royals, please see HERE or Mr. Ullman's book listed below.)
Royal Homeopathy Today
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (1926–) is an active supporter of homeopathy. She is patron of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, which was originally founded by Dr. Frederick Quin, the first “royal physician.” Her personal homeopath is Dr. Peter Fisher, who is also the medical director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital as well as editor of the leading academic journal in the field, Homeopathy (originally called the British Homoeopathic Journal).
Until her death in 2002, at the ripe old age of 101, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, was the principal royal patron of the British Homeopathic Association. The Duke of Gloucester, formerly Prince Richard, remains royal patron of the association. Princess Alice, the late Duchess of Gloucester, was the patron of the Blackie Foundation Trust established in honor of Dr. Margery Blackie, the former royal homeopathic physician who served from 1969 until 1980. At present, Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy, is patron to the Blackie Foundation Trust, and Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, serves as one of the vice-presidents of this organization.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales (1948–), has been the most outspoken modern-day royal family member to advocate for what he has popularized as “complementary medicine.” In 1982, he became president of the British Medical Association, and made it his mission to get the medical community to understand the problems and limitations of orthodox medicine and to appreciate the contributions of various complementary therapies, including homeopathy.
In 1996, the prince established what is now called The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) and made a substantial contribution toward a £2 million endowment for the charity. In February 1996, he convened and chaired a seminar involving various health care professionals to discuss practical steps to improve communication and cooperation among all those concerned with the provision of health care. As a result, working groups were created to examine requirements for research and development, education and training, regulation, and the delivery of integrated care....
Prince Charles may be the most vocal royal proponent of homeopathic medicine, but he and the queen certainly are not alone. Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, sought homeopathic care from Jack Temple, an unconventional homeopath who died in 2004 at age 86 (Daily Telegraph, 2004; Rayner and Paveley, 2001). Princess Diana was also a regular at the Hale Clinic, an “alternative and complementary medicine” clinic in London, which was opened by Prince Charles. Simone Simmons, an “alternative healer” and close confidante of Diana, confirmed what many others have known, that “Prince Charles only uses homeopathic and complementary medicines as Diana and the children did.” (Daily Mail, 2005).
In 1997, Sarah, Duchess of York, made an unannounced trip to Dr. Isaac Mathai’s holistic health center in Bangalore, India. A reporter asked her: Now that you had holistic treatment, what is your perception about alternative healing methods? Sarah replied, “We were on the homeopathic system at home for a long time. My grandmother, who died in December (1996), was a homeopathic practitioner. As children, we were given Arnica for colds and other ailments.” (The Week, 1997)
Excerpted from:
The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy
(North Atlantic Books/Random House, 2007)
by Dana Ullman, MPH Copyright 2007 www.homeopathic.com
dana@homeopathic.com
Publication date: October, 2007
From EHFA Blog owner, Debra Brown
Homeopathy is not synonymous with naturopathy or herbology. Homeopathic remedies trigger a healing or preventative reaction in the body much like vaccinations trigger an immune response.
Mr. Ullman's book discusses many other persons who have been pleased with the results of homeopathic medicine, including literary persons of years past. There will be a future post about some of those.
The study of homeopathy is fascinating. I have long purchased my homeopathic books and medicines from Mr. Ullman's website and even from his catalog before we were in the internet age. I encourage you to visit his site.
References
Atkin, G. The British and Foreign Homoeopathic Medical Directory and Record. London: Aylott and Company, 1853.
Ameke, W. History of Homœopathy: Its Origin; Its Conflicts. 1885. Available at http://homeoint.org/seror/ameke/index.htm
Baumann, J. The Old and New Therapy with/of Medicine According to the Writings of Others and According to Personal Experience for the Thinking Public. German: Das alte und neu heilverfahren mit Medicin. Nadj den Schriffen Anderer und nach eigener Erfahrung.) Remmingen: Oscar Belsenfelder. 1857.
Blodi, F. C. Field Marshall Radetzky’s Orbital Abscess, Documenta Ophthalmologica, 1989, 71:205–219.
Bojanus, Dr. C. Historical and statistical report of the rise, progress and present condition of homoeopathy in Russia, Transactions of the World Homoeopathic Convention, Philadelphia, 1876, Vol II.
Bradford, T. L. Life and Letters of Samuel Hahnemann, Letters to Schweikert. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1895.
Bradford, T. L. Pioneers of Homoeopathy. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1897.
British Journal of Homeopathy, 1854, 686 (letter from French medical correspondent). Quoted in Tyler, M. L., Lecture to Missionary Students, Homeopathy, April 1932, 1(4):126–134.
By Royal Appointment, Health and Homeopathy, Spring 1992.
Clarke, J. H. Homoeopathy Explained. London: Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1905. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Cook, T. Samuel Hahnemann: His Life and Times. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1981.
Coulter, H. L. Divided Legacy: A History of the Schism in Medical Thought. Vol. III: The Conflict Between Homeopathy and the AMA. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1973.
Coulter, H. L. Divided Legacy: A History of the Schism in Medical Thought. Vol. II: Progress and Regress: J. B. Van Helmont to Claude Bernard. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1977.
Daily Mail (UK), Diana’s Confidante Talks about the “People’s Princess,” August 17, 2005. Available at www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/webchats/webchat.html?in_page_id=1868&in_article_id=146641
Daily Telegraph (UK), Jack Temple (obituary), February 20, 2004.
Dunsford, H. The Practical Advantages of Homoeopathy, Illustrated by Numerous Cases. Dedicated, by permission, to Her Majesty, Queen Adelaide. Philadelphia: John Pennington. 1842.
Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 13, Homoeopathy. Available at http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia_Britannica/HIG_HOR/HOMOEOPATHY_from_the_Greek_6pn.html
Everest, Rev. T. R. A Popular View of Homeopathy. New York: William Radde, 1842.
Ewers, F. W. Bewahrte Heilmethod der Lausesucht u des Grindes, … (Translation: Tried and True Therapies for Eliminating Lice and Impetigo/mange/scabies). Ilmenau, 1826.
Forbes, Sir J. Homoeopathy, Allopathy and ‘Young Physic.’ New York: William Radde, 1846.
Granier, M. Conferences Upon Homoeopathy: The Spread of Homeopathy. London: Leath and Ross, 1859.
Haehl, R. Samuel Hahnemann: His Life and Work (2 vols.). London: Homeopathic Publishing Co., 1922. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Handley, R. A Homeopathic Love Story: The Story of Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1990.
Hering, C. A Memorial to Constantine Hering (Raue, C. G., ed.) Philadelphia: Globe, 1880.
Historical and Statistical Report of the Rise, Progress, and Present Condition of Homeopathy in Russia, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol. II.
History of Homeopathy in Spain and its Colonies, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol II, Part II.
Homoeopathy, Knight Grand Cross of St. Olav, March 1939, p. 96.
Homoeopathy in Italy, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol II, Part II.
Hoyle, E. P. International Council, The Homeopathician, June 1913, p. 249.
Hunt, W. F. The Condition of Homeopathy in Europe, Transactions of the New York State Homeopathic Medical Society, 1863, 118–123. (The author of this article graduated from Indiana Medical College, a conventional medical college, and later became a homeopath and professor of material medica, medical jurisprudence, and medical botany at the New York Homeopathic Medical College during 1859–1869. He also took an active role in creating asylums for the blind, the deaf, and the dumb, including the State Asylum for the Insane. He wrote the law that made care at these facilities free. Hunt’s father was General George Hunt, a pioneer in the Indiana territory, and his great-grandfather was Jonathan Hunt of New Jersey, a colonel in the Continental Army (Wershub, 1967, 34).)
Jütte, R. The Hidden Roots: A History of Homeopathy in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Stuttgart: Institute for the History of Medicine, 2006.
Kotok, A. The History of Homeopathy in the Russian Empire until World War I, as compared with other European countries and the USA: Similarities and Discrepancies. PhD thesis submitted to the Senate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, November 1999. Available at http://homeoint.org/books4/kotok/index.htm
Kotok, A. The Alexander II Homeopathic Hospital in St Petersburg, The Homeopath, Autumn 2000, 79:8–11.
Krauss, J. Hahnemann and Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine, The Homeopathic Recorder, November 15, 1925, 40(11):481–497.
Lugli, A., Zlobec, I., Singer, G., et al. Napoleon Bonaparte’s Gastric Cancer: A Clinicopathologic Approach, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2007, 4(1):52–57.
L’ Union Medicale, 1850. Quoted in Progress of Homoeopathy in Spain, Monthly Journal of Homeopathy, 1850, issue 12.
Mamiya Medical Heritage Center (Archives of the Hawaiian Medical Library), 2005. Available at http://hml.org/mmhc/mdindex/nicholsc.html
Mitchell, G. H. Homoeopathy. London: W. H. Allen, 1975.
Morrell, P. British Homeopathy During Two Centuries. Available at http://homeoint.org/morrell/british/index.htm (A research thesis submitted to Staffordshire University for the degree of Master of Philosophy, June 1999.)
Mueller, M. L. History and Statistics of the Homoeopathic Hospitals of Austria, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol II.
Nicholls, P. A. Homoeopathy and the Medical Profession. London: Croom Helm, 1988.
Payne, W. E. Address and Poem delivered before the Massachusetts Homeopathic Medical Society. Boston: Otis Class, 1855.
Pope, A. C. The History and Details of British Legislation Affecting Practitioners of Homoeopathy, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol II.
Poulet, J. Approche de l’Homoeopathie, l’Homoeopathie Francaise, 1973, pp. 452–454.
Poulet, J. Archives du Chateau de Montgobert, Les Bonaparte et l’homeopathie. Montgobert: Le Club de Retz, no date.
Prince Charles. “Open-Minded” Healthcare. BBC Online. May 28, 1998. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/102246.stm
Rayner, G., and Paveley, R. Cherie health guru who believes MMR jab is unnecessary, Daily Mail (London), December 26, 2001.
Schmidt, P. Historical Sketch of Homeopathy in Switzerland, Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, February 1926, 19(2):164–170.
Smith, D. D. Notable Psychiatrists in Hawaii Over the Past 150 Years, Archives of the Hawaii Medical Library, July, 2002. Available at www.hawaiipsychiatric.org/HawaiiPsychiatric.data/Library/History/Hawaii%20Psychiatrists%20Hx.pdf
Vingtrinier, A. Chronique Locale [Local Chronicle], Revue du Lyonnais, 1860.
The Week, February 9, 1997. Available at www.soukya.com/theweek.html
Tyler, M. Homoeopathic Drug Pictures. London: Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1942. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Wells, P. P. What Is Homoeopathy, and What Are the Possibilities and Duties of Its Practice? The Organon, July 1879, issue 3.
Wershub, L. P. One Hundred Years of Medical Progress: A History of the New York Medical Colllege, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, 1967.
Young, N. Napoleon in Exile: St. Helena (1815–1821). London: Stanley Paul, 1915.
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| Queen Elizabeth II with members of the British Royal Family |
What is less well known is the love for homeopathy by so many other monarchs of yesterday. When one considers that these members of royalty had access to the best of available medical treatment and that there were certainly implications of their choice of less orthodox methods, the large number of monarchs who chose homeopathy represents a significant statement about the value they found in this medical system.
In 1842, an astonishing number of seventy-seven homeopathic physicians were on record to have served as personal physicians to monarchs and their families (Everest, 1842, 200–203).
British Monarchs
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| Royal Monogram of Queen Adelaide of Great Britain |
In 1830, the Earl of Shrewsbury (1791–1852) had asked Hahnemann for the name of a homeopath who could come to England to be his doctor, and Hahnemann suggested Dr. Francesco Romani (1785–1854) of Italy. Dr. Romani’s cures were so remarkable that he soon created a sensation in London and its surrounds. Queen Adelaide heard about this new medical system from his good work. However, the cold climate didn’t suit the Italian homeopath, and he returned home just one year after his arrival (Granier, 1859).
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| A homeopathic medicine kit |
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| Queen Mary |
King Edward VII (1841–1910) carried on the homeopathic tradition and was a close drinking and eating partner of Dr. Frederick Hervey Foster Quin (1799–1878), the first British physician to become a homeopath. Edward’s daughter, Maud (1869–1938), married King Haakon VII of Norway, and both sought the homeopathic care of Sir John Weir, MD (see below).
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| George VI |
His brother, King George VI (1895–1952), also had a special love for homeopathy. He even named one of his prize racehorses Hypericum, after a homeopathic medicine for injuries. He was known to be an expert user of homeopathic medicine himself, and he formally granted the use of the royal title to the London Homeopathic Hospital, now called the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Today’s Queen Elizabeth II (1926–), King George VI’s daughter, who ascended the throne in 1952, is patron to this important hospital, which underwent a $35 million refurbishing in 2005.
The most famous homeopath to royalty was Sir John Weir (1879–1971), who served six monarchs: King Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, George VI, Elizabeth II, King Gustav V of Sweden (1858–1950), and King Haakon VII of Norway (1872–1957).
The early growth of homeopathy in Britain in the mid-1800s became possible in large part through royal support and British aristocracy. The first British homeopath to British royalty, Dr. Quin, was a son of the Duchess of Devonshire (1765–1824), and thus himself an aristocrat. When Quin began his full-time homeopathic practice in London in 1832, he primarily treated members of his own noble class. During the mid-1800s, poor people could not usually afford treatment from doctors and instead tended to use the services of herbalists and apothecaries for their health care.
Another reason that the British royalty embraced homeopathy is that its approach of individualized treatment for each person seemed to give them the real sense that they would not be given medicines that would be prescribed for just anybody (Morrell, 1999). This premise of individualization of treatment is an integral part of homeopathy, and it makes sense to educated classes of people.
The fact that the royals have been Christians has probably also helped link them to homeopathy in subtle ways. Homeopathy has had a solid history of support from the clergy in both Europe and the U.S. (see Chapter 13 of my book The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, Clergy and Spiritual Leaders, for more details on this subject). A board of governors, primarily composed of clerics and bankers and a few titled persons and minor aristocrats, headed most of the homeopathic dispensaries for the poor. This was a consistent pattern in Europe and America.
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| The Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon |
Others included: the Dukes of Beaufort, Dukes of Cambridge, Earl of Essex, Lord Gray of Gray, Viscount Malden, Lord Ernle, Earl of Kintore, Earl of Kinnaird, the Lords Paget, Dukes of Sutherland, Earls of Dudley, Lord Leconfield, Earl of Wilton, Earl of Albermarle, Viscount Sydney, Lady Radstock, Duke of Northumberland, Earl of Scarborough, Earl of Dysart, Marchioness of Exeter, Countess Waldegrave, Countess of Crawford and Balcarres, Lord Headley, Earl of Plymouth, Lord Calthorpe, Earls of Shrewsbury, Lord Horder, Lord Gainford, Lord Moynihan, Lord Ernle, Lord Ampthill, Lord Home, Viscount Elibank, and the Earls of Lichfield. One can also add numerous knights, barons, military officers, and clerics to this already impressive list.
Sir Henry Tyler (1827–1908) was another titled and rich patron to homeopathy. He not only personally contributed large amounts of money for the expansion of the London Homeopathic Hospital, but his daughter, the later famed Dr. Margaret Tyler (1857–1943), became an influential homeopathic doctor in London. She authored Homoeopathic Drug Pictures, a book that is still popular among practicing homeopaths, and she was the editor of a leading journal simply called Homoeopathy.
It is not surprising that homeopathy in nineteenth-century England came to be called the “rich-man’s therapy.” ....
....Other European Monarchs
Various monarchs throughout Europe were not simply patients of homeopaths; they were also advocates for this system of medicine. Because European royalty usually do not have a history of expressing advocacy without obvious and strong reasons, it is important to ask why so many European monarchs were so supportive of homeopathic medicine. The most obvious reason was that it was extremely effective for them, and, compared with conventional medicine of that day, it was considerably safer than the strong drugs, debilitating bleedings, and use of leeches.
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| Samuel Hahnemann |
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| King Leopold I |
Even before Quin became a homeopath, he was a highly respected physician to various royalty. Dr. Quin was even called to become personal physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, though the day before Quin was to attend him, Napoleon died.
(For information on the use of homeopathy by other European royals, please see HERE or Mr. Ullman's book listed below.)
Royal Homeopathy Today
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| Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth I |
Until her death in 2002, at the ripe old age of 101, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, was the principal royal patron of the British Homeopathic Association. The Duke of Gloucester, formerly Prince Richard, remains royal patron of the association. Princess Alice, the late Duchess of Gloucester, was the patron of the Blackie Foundation Trust established in honor of Dr. Margery Blackie, the former royal homeopathic physician who served from 1969 until 1980. At present, Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy, is patron to the Blackie Foundation Trust, and Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, serves as one of the vice-presidents of this organization.
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| Prince Charles by Dan Marsh |
In 1996, the prince established what is now called The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) and made a substantial contribution toward a £2 million endowment for the charity. In February 1996, he convened and chaired a seminar involving various health care professionals to discuss practical steps to improve communication and cooperation among all those concerned with the provision of health care. As a result, working groups were created to examine requirements for research and development, education and training, regulation, and the delivery of integrated care....
Prince Charles may be the most vocal royal proponent of homeopathic medicine, but he and the queen certainly are not alone. Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, sought homeopathic care from Jack Temple, an unconventional homeopath who died in 2004 at age 86 (Daily Telegraph, 2004; Rayner and Paveley, 2001). Princess Diana was also a regular at the Hale Clinic, an “alternative and complementary medicine” clinic in London, which was opened by Prince Charles. Simone Simmons, an “alternative healer” and close confidante of Diana, confirmed what many others have known, that “Prince Charles only uses homeopathic and complementary medicines as Diana and the children did.” (Daily Mail, 2005).
In 1997, Sarah, Duchess of York, made an unannounced trip to Dr. Isaac Mathai’s holistic health center in Bangalore, India. A reporter asked her: Now that you had holistic treatment, what is your perception about alternative healing methods? Sarah replied, “We were on the homeopathic system at home for a long time. My grandmother, who died in December (1996), was a homeopathic practitioner. As children, we were given Arnica for colds and other ailments.” (The Week, 1997)
Excerpted from:
The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy
(North Atlantic Books/Random House, 2007)
by Dana Ullman, MPH Copyright 2007 www.homeopathic.com
dana@homeopathic.com
Publication date: October, 2007
From EHFA Blog owner, Debra Brown
Homeopathy is not synonymous with naturopathy or herbology. Homeopathic remedies trigger a healing or preventative reaction in the body much like vaccinations trigger an immune response.
Mr. Ullman's book discusses many other persons who have been pleased with the results of homeopathic medicine, including literary persons of years past. There will be a future post about some of those.
The study of homeopathy is fascinating. I have long purchased my homeopathic books and medicines from Mr. Ullman's website and even from his catalog before we were in the internet age. I encourage you to visit his site.
References
Atkin, G. The British and Foreign Homoeopathic Medical Directory and Record. London: Aylott and Company, 1853.
Ameke, W. History of Homœopathy: Its Origin; Its Conflicts. 1885. Available at http://homeoint.org/seror/ameke/index.htm
Baumann, J. The Old and New Therapy with/of Medicine According to the Writings of Others and According to Personal Experience for the Thinking Public. German: Das alte und neu heilverfahren mit Medicin. Nadj den Schriffen Anderer und nach eigener Erfahrung.) Remmingen: Oscar Belsenfelder. 1857.
Blodi, F. C. Field Marshall Radetzky’s Orbital Abscess, Documenta Ophthalmologica, 1989, 71:205–219.
Bojanus, Dr. C. Historical and statistical report of the rise, progress and present condition of homoeopathy in Russia, Transactions of the World Homoeopathic Convention, Philadelphia, 1876, Vol II.
Bradford, T. L. Life and Letters of Samuel Hahnemann, Letters to Schweikert. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1895.
Bradford, T. L. Pioneers of Homoeopathy. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1897.
British Journal of Homeopathy, 1854, 686 (letter from French medical correspondent). Quoted in Tyler, M. L., Lecture to Missionary Students, Homeopathy, April 1932, 1(4):126–134.
By Royal Appointment, Health and Homeopathy, Spring 1992.
Clarke, J. H. Homoeopathy Explained. London: Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1905. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Cook, T. Samuel Hahnemann: His Life and Times. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1981.
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Thank you for your support of homeopathy! Well written and researched article. Keep up the good work. Sandra
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Hale Clinic in the late 1990's and so I found the earlier use of homeopathy by the royals fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this informative and interesting article.
Thank you for this very interesting and informative article. I'm not a member of a royal family but am a long-time user of homeopathy and can easily understand why people who can use any system of medicine they like would choose to use homeopathy. It's been so successful and so safe in my treatment of chronic and acute conditions and injuries that it's now my primary form of medicine. I turn to it first before anything else, and it's never let me down.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, Sandra, Shannon, and Christine.
ReplyDeleteAll viewpoints of homeopathic care and the use of it by the royals are welcome, but when a reader has to stoop to slamming the person who wrote the article and his resources and has nothing whatsoever to say about the content, the comment is obviously going to be deleted as is the case in this conversation. If author-bashing is included even with a valuable comment, it will be removed.
I, too, have experienced amazing results with homeopathic treatment when nothing else would work and am alive today because of it.
I am honored to have Dana's information on the blog today. I have known him for a long time (though he did not know me, lol) through his writings and work at advocating homeopathy. He is well known in the field. Thank you, Dana!
Great information, and well documented and footnoted! Homeopathy makes so much sense, and is such a great resource. If we used homeopathy more extensively in the US, we wouldn't be spending so much on healthcare.
ReplyDeleteYes, even with my extensive experience with both the royals and the use of homeopathic treatments by myself and a wide circle of friends I found your article rich of information that had eluded myself, despite my connection with the modern subjects of your article.
ReplyDeleteI too have experienced life altering effects which have soothed my soul and spirit long after the treatment was concluded.
I am so sorry that some self righteous individual had the audacity and lacked the dignity to attack you, as the author in a personal way. Disagree and disbelieve as it promotes healthy debate, but attack authors for their opinion ranks you with those despots that burn books they can't even read.
Chin up Debra. I have your back and you have my respect.
Thank you, Shannon. It was Dana who was attacked. In general, homeopathy is still attacked despite the many who have professed belief in its efficacy due to their own experiences and even the healing of infants and animals who would not benefit from a placebo effect. But yes. Respectful discussion of both viewpoints is certainly acceptable when personal attacks are not involved.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful article and beautifully presented. Thank you very much Debra. I shall put the link to it up on my Homeopathy Heals website. http://www.homeopathyheals.me.uk
ReplyDeleteYes, we are very sick and tired of the worn out comments of the health fascists who don't want people to have freedom of choice!
Its very nice to Know that the Royal family also have a great experience with Homeopathy and they do consider it for many ailments. It will boost up the confidence of Homeopath and help us to grow with Homeopathy .
ReplyDeleteThanks
Suman Panwar
Homoeopathy is a wonderful system of medicine. I had the privilege of attending the homoeopathic hospitals in India for a January intensive program. It was a life changing experience. I am a naturopath, currently studying midwifery, and enjoy the benefits of homoeopathy for pregnant, birthing and postnatal women. I recently purchased "Homoeopathy for midwives " an amazing text book. Thanks for your article.
ReplyDeleteHomeopathy is wonderful for childbirth. It can ease the pain and alter problems, and it is a great start to life for the infant. I'm glad you will be using it!
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